Just want to see how our predictions are holding up. Before the season started we all posted what we thought the Steelers would do. The first quarter of the season is over and I have to say they are better at this point than I thought they would be. The defense is number one and the offense is getting into the groove I remember seeing at the end of 2005. Granted the "O" isn't their yet but if the "D" is holding teams to fewer than 17 points. We may win more games than I originally thought.

The main thing I didn't see coming was coach Tomlin. Each time I here an interview I'm impressed more. When he told reporters "I did think at one time the team would lose a game". I realized he already was waiting to see how the teamed responded. This guy is on top of things and seams to be ahead of the schedule for a new coach. Its almost as if he were a head coach before.

Be sure to post your early prediction and what you think now, if it has changed.

10-6 to start the season
11-4 now

OX1947

10-10-2007, 11:25 PM

I know some will disagree, but the Steelers have done it all. They have been under .500, been .500, won the most regular season games, been to the playoffs, been to Conference title games, and won Super Bowls. The only thing that matters is them winning in Arizona this year. The Steelers can win the rest of their games but if they lose to the Pats or Indy in the playoffs, or lose in the bowl, it would highly suck.....

Borski

10-10-2007, 11:26 PM

I couldnt be happier seeing how we are playing, heres an overlook at the rest of the season.

we are 4-1 now, and seeing how we are playing I think we could finish 13-3

fansince'76

10-11-2007, 11:38 AM

You know, it's hard for me to say. With the coaching turnover, I was approaching this year wide open mentally - I was prepared to see the team either bounce back strong (because I knew the talent the team had was better than it showed last season) or regress even further while Tomlin cut his teeth in his new HC job. That being said, I am ecstatic over the 4-1 start.

KYSteelersfan

10-11-2007, 11:46 AM

Well, I always "expect" the Steelers to do well starting the season. That being said, Tomlin has done a fantastic job thus far this season. The only down side, was that we lost to Arizona. But hey, if we had to lose, at least we lost to an ex-steeler coach. He knows our team better than most.

No prediction in pre-season
12-4 rest of the season.

Atlanta Dan

10-11-2007, 11:49 AM

After a successful preseason, I expected 4-1 at the bye, losing either the Cardinals or Seattle game. However, I certainly did not expect all 4 wins to be blowouts.

The defense (specifcally pass defense) has exceeded my expectations to a greater extent than the offense.

I had the Steelers at 10-6 preseason but based upon the Ravens, Jets, Rams, and Broncos being worse than I thought I am now thinking 12-4 or 13-3.

I thought they would split with the Bengals & Ravens and now think they should win 3 of those 4. I also expect a New England loss, a loss at Denver or NY, and probably an upset somewhere in there.

Of course all bets are off with an injury to Ben, Parker, Faneca or Marvel Smith.

revefsreleets

10-11-2007, 11:53 AM

I'd say so far they are meeting my expectations, but it's really way too early to know. My expectations are a Super Bowl win every year, and anything short of that is a failure to meet expectations.

Mosca

10-11-2007, 01:03 PM

This is about what I expected, especially from Tomlin.

One thing that I AM looking for from Tomlin is the ability to use emotion as a tool when it's called for. I remember the story of Chuck Noll before the first Super Bowl, where he said only a few words, something like "This is what we've worked for, now let's take it," and the guys came out on fire. Since it's the most powerful tool in the box, he can't be using it every week or it will stop working. But I look for him to use it, and I look forward to the results.

But yeah, 4-1 right now is about right. We lost one I thought we'd win, we won one I thought we could lose, but this is OK. I agreed that last year we were mediocre, but I never bought into the idea that we were a team on the decline.

Although it's way to premature to consider the demise of the AFC North the odds of the Steelers not losing another game until Dec 9 are getting smaller and smaller.

If the loss to the Cardinals didn't set the tone for the rest of the season then we will lose four more games. If it did provide a necessary "wake-up" call then someone could make a case for the Steelers to go 13-3 or even 14-2.

The KEY: BLOCKING

alittlejazzbird

10-11-2007, 01:16 PM

I never doubted that Ben's struggles were due to his health issues last year, and I believed the team had the talent to contend if he bounced back. If the OL continues to improve (and barring serious injuries, of course), I see this team playing consistently at or above the '04 and '05 levels, at best winning the division or at worst a wildcard, and going at least well into the playoffs. As long as Ben came back healthy this season, those were my expectations going in, and the team has met my expectations thus far.

My preseason prediction was 11-5 for the regular season, and I'm sticking with that. I see all four games with Cincy and Baltimore as potential landmines (I know they both stink right now, but these games are always brutal), Jacksonville always plays us tough, and the New England game as winnable, but a question mark in my mind at this point in the season. Some of those will be wins, but at least a few could just as easily be losses.

Haiku_Dirtt

10-11-2007, 01:18 PM

the story of Chuck Noll

What I didn't learn about Noll until much later is how little he said - or had to say - to motivate his teams before games.

Atlanta Dan

10-11-2007, 02:31 PM

Apparently the one time Noll actually fired up the team was after Oakland beat Miami in the 1974 playoffs. After that game Larry Little of the Dolphins said "the two best teams in football played today," and Madden said "when the best play the best anything can happen."

Noll then told the team the week before the Oakland game that `Well, they're not the best. The best team is in this locker room. And neither one of them is going to be in the Super Bowl."

Joe Greene went nuts, the Steelers beat the Raiders the following Sunday in arguably the most significant win in Steelers history, and the dynasty was born.

Otherwise, this Noll quote Tony Dungy has passed along to Peyton pretty much sums up Noll's low key approach - "'Pressure is something you feel only when you don't know what you are doing."

BurghZ0n3

10-11-2007, 03:45 PM

To tell the truth.....yes, I was not convinced until we're 3-0. Every team with a new HC would struggle at the beginning, then make ample adjustments accordingly. But,....what a HUGE surprise that was! The chemistry just clicked, although Tomlin was in a midwest team (used to live in Iowa myself)! I guess last season was a give away kinda thing....GO B&G :tt02::tt02::tt02:

TackleMeBen

10-11-2007, 03:50 PM

they are about where i thought they would be. 4-1 is good for our team. this way we dont have to hear about being 5-0 and blah blah.. this way we can be under the radar and let the media hype the colts and pats, and then we do what we do best. come in and kick butt and take names all the way to the superbowl championship!!:tt02:

GeneralRobinson

10-11-2007, 04:28 PM

They will have exceeded my expectations if they win the division.

PalmerSteel

10-11-2007, 04:37 PM

SO FAR they have exceeded my expectations for sure. very impressed how great the d and ben have been playing. BUT, i need to see how they do against the bengals and ravens first though before i truly believe we have surpassed last year's team, which will be the next 2 games after the broncos this sunday. familiar division rival games is always the tell tale sign.

bw87a

10-11-2007, 10:13 PM

i agree. ben has played so well. it's definitely a testament of how influential he is to the steelers. with last years team and his injuries...our record shone through. this year has been much better and i've enjoyed not watching him throw so many interceptions.

ShutDown24

10-11-2007, 10:21 PM

No - They haven't.

WWIIOwheelz

10-12-2007, 12:01 AM

I can't believe how well the cover 2 has worked when they've done it. It felt alien to watch, not seeing linebackers flying in on the QB, but it was incredibly effective.

I'm very impressed. The list of who I'm concerned about in the AFC has shortened considerably from last year. I'm almost looking forward to the Ravens game, and as badly as they beat us last year, that's really saying something.

The Pats game will be an absolute brawl. The Colts will have their hands full with this new blend of Tomlin and Labeau, I think.

Not worried about the West as much as the last 2 years. Denver is struggling badly and the Chargers aren't as deadly as the last couple of years, it seems, and we beat them then. Sophomore slump for Rivers, I think.

I'm between 11-5 and 12-4 for the team, and that's saying an awful lot about how great of a job Tomlin is doing already.

bw87a

10-20-2007, 02:40 AM

i'm hoping we can make it to the pats with just our one loss. with the league analysis given in the post above, it's surely possible. it would be nice to see what we can do as two of the best teams in the nfl at that point. i'm biased, so i wouldn't say i think we're gonna win it.... ;-)

ChronoCross

10-20-2007, 03:33 AM

The team is looking better then I thought they would.

Aussie_steeler

10-20-2007, 04:43 AM

My expectations are always that the players wear the steelers uniform with pride and play aggressive football. As a result I will always gain enjoyment from watching their performances.

Once again they have achieved these two goals (as they always do in my mind) and I have taken much enjoyment from following their progress.

I have only seen the 49ers game so far but hopefully we will get 1 or 2 more games before the end of the season (we get a lot of NFC games shown here) . We get all the playoff games broadcast here so I always hope that the steelers make them so I can get to see them play. Things are looking hopeful at this stage.

Elvis

10-20-2007, 04:51 AM

I think that my preseason prediction was probably
around 8 or 9 wins this season. I think(hope) that we surpass those numbers and the way things look right now we will. But we have our toughest part of our schedule coming up now. This 3 game stretch will tell me alot about our Steelers.
at Broncos
at Bengals
Baltimore
No matter how the Bengals are against everyone else, they will always get up for the Steelers and the same goes for the Ravens. With this said I think that we could win all 3 of these games if we play mistake free games. I think that our Steelers can win 10 or 11 games this year.
:tt02:

steelpride12

10-20-2007, 07:49 AM

Yes i think the Steelers so far have met my expectations. I was hoping for a 4-1 or 5-1 start for the easy schedule they had in the beg. of the season.

Now its really time to show everyone who the new and improved steelers and by winning our next 3 big games.

I always expect our Steelers to come out every sunday ready to play and always pumped no matter what the situation is. This team plays with heart for than anything and every week are going to prove who not to mess with!

delhess

10-20-2007, 08:17 AM

i think i predicted a 10 to 12 win season. 12 being optimistic! i would have to say that 13-3 is looking very realistic right now.

keep in mind that we have not seen this team play from behind very much yet. that is a test that will be sure to come. i don't know yet if we can play a more one dimensional game and come from behind, but if we pass that test well, we can compete w/ anybody in this league.

xXTheSteelKingsXx

10-20-2007, 06:53 PM

The Steelers have really met the expections that I had for them up to this point. I thought that they would be 4-1 at the bye and I'm still going to say we end up 11-5 or 12-4.

FastWillieParker39

10-20-2007, 08:47 PM

So far this season has gone done exactly how I pictured it. 4-1 with that loss coming to Zona.

However, there play has DEFINITLY exceeded my expectations. Oline is better, Ben is much better, Willie is the same, the defense is the same, and I gotta give it up to Ike Taylor for playing GREAT sp far.

My preseason prediction was 10-6 with a WC birth. Now my prediction/expectation is 11-5 with winning the AFC North :tt02:

lotas

10-20-2007, 09:36 PM

I agree...I haven't been this confident in our secondary in a decade

Boomerang

10-20-2007, 10:12 PM

No, t thought we would win 11/12 games and i think our confidence will grow more as the season goes on.Our D has been a big plus this season.

X-Terminator

10-21-2007, 11:29 AM

I said 10-6 at the beginning of the season, and I'm sticking with that for now. Unlike then, though, that might be good enough to win the division rather than get a WC berth. If they can run the table in their next 3 games, then I will change my prediction.

Smashmouth225

10-21-2007, 01:45 PM

No this is a good ball club. My prediction earlier was 11-5 but at the same time there was no reason to believe this team can't get 12 or 13 wins. To much talent on this team to fall flat on their face like last year. I am however impressed with how dominant our D has been.

Lord Stiller

10-21-2007, 01:56 PM

The Steelers will never surpass my expectations unless they can somehow win 2 Super Bowl championships in 1 season

CrimsonTideSteelersFan

10-21-2007, 04:29 PM

The defense has played a little better than I thought they might, but overall the record at this point is where I thought it would have been.

The Duke

10-21-2007, 04:38 PM

The Steelers will never surpass my expectations unless they can somehow win 2 Super Bowl championships in 1 season

:jawdrop: You have really demanding expectations

klick81

10-22-2007, 09:56 AM

To the original question: NO.

WisconsinSteelerMan

10-22-2007, 10:05 AM

Sorry I am a bit late to this topic. Yes, they have surpassed my expectations this season. Not a "blazing-far-past-my-expectations" surpassing, but definitely surpassed. This week's loss notwithstanding, I expected them to come out and be like they were last year...mediocre...8-8. I thought that they would be "ok" in the opening stretch, but not wonderful. Again, taking out Denver and Arizona, I think that they have played better than I have expected with a new coach.

Just my thoughts!

Mike in La Crosse, WI

PalmerSteel

10-22-2007, 06:35 PM

SO FAR they have exceeded my expectations for sure. very impressed how great the d and ben have been playing. BUT, i need to see how they do against the bengals and ravens first though before i truly believe we have surpassed last year's team, which will be the next 2 games after the broncos this sunday. familiar division rival games is always the tell tale sign.

i will reply to my own quote. win the next 2 and we have surpassed last years team. lose both or split and we are no better than last year's team, overall.